# Why is Germany playing opening match of World Cup?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-germany-playing-opening-match-of-world-cup/360122>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 9, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-germany-playing-opening-match-of-world-cup/360122 "2006-06-09T21:04:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-germany-playing-opening-match-of-world-cup/360122/1 "2006-06-09T21:04:11Z")

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Surely it should be Brazil.

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**Author:** ![Airblairxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Airblairxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airblairxxx)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-germany-playing-opening-match-of-world-cup/360122/2 "2006-06-09T22:08:04Z")

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It’s a new thing. It used to be the previous champion would play in match #1, but this is the first WC where the champion does not automatically qualify. So they changed it so the host country would play in match #1.

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**Author:** ![blinkingblinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@blinkingblinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blinkingblinking)\
**Post date:** [June 9, 2006, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-germany-playing-opening-match-of-world-cup/360122/3 "2006-06-09T22:39:27Z")

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> [@Airblairxxx](#):
>
> It’s a new thing. It used to be the previous champion would play in match #1, but this is the first WC where the champion does not automatically qualify. So they changed it so the host country would play in match #1.

Do you know why ? Do you have a cite?